Addicted To Her The Alpha'S Irresistible Contract Mate novel Chapter 25

25 Chapter 25 I don’t touch what others have touched

Naomi’s pov:

I could still feel the ghost of Elias’s hand on my throat, the way his fingers had pressed just enough to remind me who held the power.

He was still seething, his broad shoulders rising and falling with each controlled breath, but I saw the shift–the way he rolled his neck, cracking it like he was forcing the rage back into its cage. His golden eyes locked on me, dark with something I couldn’t name.

Possession? Hatred? Both? Before I could scramble off the stool, his hand shot out, fingers wrapping around my upper arm in a vise grip. Pain bloomed where his thumb dug in, but it was nothing compared to the humiliation of being manhandled like a ragdoll.

“Let go!” I hissed, twisting in his hold. My voice came out weaker than I wanted, still raw from the sobs I’d choked back earlier. The mate bond flared, a sickening pull in my chest that made me want to lean into him even as every instinct screamed to fight. “Elias, stop! I can walk myself.”

He didn’t even glance down, his jaw set like granite as he yanked me toward the exit. “We’re leaving.”

Protests bubbled up in my throat, but they died as he dragged me through the crowded bar. Heads turned, alphas and betas alike staring with wide eyes–some curious, some smirking like this was prime entertainment. A few omegas averted their gazes, pity flickering in their expressions. My feet scraped against the grimy floor. “Damn it, Elias! You’re hurting me! Let. Me. Go!”

I clawed at his hand with my free one, nails digging into his skin, but it was like scratching steel. His alpha strength was unyielding, a wall of muscle that brooked no resistance. I twisted weakly, my body still aching from the earlier assault–the bastard’s fists on my ribs, his knee pressing into my thigh.

Tears pricked my eyes again, hot and unwelcome. “People are watching! You’re making

a scene!”

“Good,” he growled under his breath, not slowing. “Let them see what happens when someone touches what’s mine.”

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25 Chapter 25 I don’t touch what others have touched

The cool night air hit me like a slap as he shoved through the door, the neon sign buzzing overhead casting eerie red shadows on his face. The parking lot gravel crunched under his boots, biting into my bare feet now that my broken heel made walking a joke. I yanked harder, but he just tightened his grip, hauling me toward his sleek black SUV like I was luggage.

“Elias, please- I have to finish my shift. My boss-”

“Your boss can go to hell,” he snapped, finally looking at me. His eyes blazed with that feral gold, the bond thrumming with his anger. “You’re done here. For good.”

He wrenched open the passenger door and all but threw me inside, my skirt hiking up embarrassingly high. I scrambled to pull it down, cheeks burning, as he slammed the door shut. By the time I fumbled for the handle, he’d already circled to the driver’s side and locked us in. The engine roared to life, a low growl that matched his mood.

The car ride was a suffocating void. Silence pressed in, thick and oppressive, broken only by the hum of tires on asphalt and my ragged breaths. I huddled against the door, as far from him as the leather seat allowed, curling my legs under me. Tears tracked down my face unchecked now; I wiped them with the back of my hand, smearing mascara and the remnants of blood from my split lip.

My wrist throbbed where the alpha at the bar had twisted it earlier, a purple bracelet blooming under the skin. I cradled it in my lap, probing gently, wincing at the sharp pain. How had tonight gone so wrong? One minute I was serving drinks, fending off the usual creeps; the next, Elias was there, a whirlwind of violence, saving me and damning

me in the same breath.

I stole glances at him. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel, veins bulging like cords. His face was a mask, but I could feel the turmoil through the bond–flashes of regret, maybe? Or was that just wishful thinking? He kept replaying something in his mind; I could sense it in the way his eyes flicked to the rearview, unseeing.

The slap I’d given him earlier? His own cruel words echoing back? “If you’re going to be a whore, Naomi, at least be mine.”

The memory made bile rise in my throat. How could he say that? After everything?

I pressed my forehead to the cool window, wishing I could disappear into the night.

Finally, the wrought–iron gates loomed, swinging open at his approach. He parked with a jerk, killing the engine. Before I could unbuckle, he was out and around, yanking

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25 Chapter 25 I don’t touch what others have touched

Despise him? Oh, yes. It was just beginning.

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